1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 61 Busy Farming
The first time he sold pork, Ronan only ordered 20 kilograms of pork from Freddy, and sold them all before the market closed at 11:30, earning 2872 francs.

Ronan didn't count how many glasses of rosé wine were sold, but all five bottles of wine he brought were sold out.

If you sell wine at more than 20 francs a bottle in repackaged form, you can earn at least three times the profit.

The alcohol industry is indeed a highly profitable industry!

Ronan calculated carefully and after deducting various costs, today's net income was around 2000 francs.

Just as Lucas imagined, if he attended the fair a few more times a week, his income would be considerable.

But Ronan doesn't have the energy or time to attend the market now because the busy farming season has begun.

From some day on, busy figures could be seen in all the fields near the village of Lourmarin.

The more diligent farmers have already begun to prepare the land for the year.

The lazy farmer also had to act quickly, just like the one who drank Theo.
Ronan was on his way home after buying some pesticides when he passed by Theo's vineyard and found that he had just started pruning the grape branches.

However, Ronan's basic agricultural knowledge told him that this was something that should be done as soon as winter came.

"You waited until they were this long before cutting them?" Ronan couldn't help himself and stopped outside Theo's vineyard to admire it carefully.

Theo shrugged:
"They're still doing well, aren't they?"

Shrugging is a body language that the French love to do.

But after living in Provence for two months, Ronan discovered that an ordinary action could be so complicated here.

A general shrug is a quick twitch of the shoulders that can express surprise, confusion, and contempt.

When a Provencal shrugs and raises his eyebrows, his implication is - can't you see that, you idiot!

If they shrug their shoulders while spreading their hands with their palms facing up, it means that they are quite hesitant and believe that it is something that only God can decide and has nothing to do with the speaker.

And the Special Olympics just now is the third case.

"I guess they're not in good condition anymore." Ronan said with a smile, putting one arm out of the car window.

"They will definitely thrive." Theo raised his right hand, palm down, at elbow height, and shook it gently a few times.

Ronan laughed even more wildly.

This is another Provencal gesture—it means that the speaker doesn’t know the answer either.

"Good luck." Ronan pulled his hand back into the car and started it again.

Theo suddenly took a few steps closer:
"Fabian's family will plant grape branches tomorrow."

Fabian is a farmer in the village of Lourmarin.

Ronan didn't understand why Theo suddenly said this.

Theo would also misunderstand and think that Ronan was asking Fabian why he planted grape branches because he was a melon farmer before.

"Growing watermelons is time-consuming and water-intensive. In summer, wild boars in the mountains often come to steal the watermelons. Last year, Fabian lost nearly one-third of his watermelons. The government has recently relaxed its control and approved the Moli Wine Cooperative to have its own brand. Everyone thinks that growing grapes can make a lot of money." Theo leaned against Ronan's car and lit a cigarette.

Most of the grapes harvested in the village of Lourmarin are sent to the Moly Wine Cooperative, which is less than five kilometers away. The wine produced by the Moly Wine Cooperative is only sold in this area at a very low price. Its main responsibility is to provide these wine-loving Provencal people with wine to drink, not to make money.

The government's approval of the Moli Brewing Cooperative to have its own brand means it can sell it to other regions at a higher price.

Since the wine was selling at a higher price, Fabian naturally thought that the price of grapes would also increase.

Theo explained it very clearly, but Ronan still didn't understand:

"What does this have to do with me?"

Theo took a puff of his cigarette and said, "There is a cooperative system in the valley. When someone's fields need to be replanted, everyone goes to help on a voluntary basis. You can choose to go or not. Everyone is very busy right now."

But then he thought of something and waved his hand again:
"Forget it, don't go. You've never planted a grape branch before."

After Ronan came to Provence, all he did was pruning branches, weeding and fertilizing. I guess this kid from Paris has never even seen a grape branch.

Unexpectedly, Ronan stretched his entire head out in anticipation:

"What time tomorrow?"

Theo said that when farmers go to help, they bring their wives with them. The men work in the fields while the women prepare lunch and dinner.

Ronan doesn't have a wife, so he brought his beloved son Xiao Hei with him the next day.

As soon as Xiao Hei got out of the car, he urinated in the turned soil, announcing to everyone - Ronan and his family had arrived.

Ronan thought this would be a large group activity with dozens of people, but there were only a dozen people standing in the field, and half of them were women.

At 7 o'clock in the morning, Fabian started the deafening tractor he inherited from his grandfather.

Ronan saw Theo's mouth moving constantly, but he couldn't hear a word.

Finally, Theo had no choice but to squat down and write on the ground with his finger:
"Hurry up and cover your mouth and nose. The black smoke from the tractor will make you unable to eat for a day."

The people of Provence don't even maintain their cars, so they certainly won't maintain their tractors.

Don't worry, it won't break!
Ronan covered his mouth with his sleeve and began to write on the ground:

"Not waiting for the others?"

Isn't everyone supposed to help?

Theo wrote crookedly:
"There are already a lot of people coming today."

Seeing Ronan had finished reading, Theo stood up and erased the words with the sole of his shoe.

Fabian drove the tractor in front, and Pierre followed behind pushing the small plow.

Ronan guessed that Pierre must have put away his usual unfocused look at this moment, with a firm and serious expression, so the line he plowed was so straight.

The reason for this guess is that Pierre was the most direct victim of the tractor. In order to protect himself, he wore a hat like a beekeeper and a mask.

Soon, the entire field was cut into several long strips, which meant that the grape branches could be planted.

Fresh grape branches were piled on both sides of the field, the tops painted with red wax.

This was the first time Ronan had seen this thing. He picked one up and looked at it carefully.

"I didn't expect you to come too." Pierre stood behind Ronan, pointed at the grape branches with his chin and asked, "Are you here to learn how to graft?"

"I know how to plant it, but I've never practiced it." Ronan put down the grape branch.

Pierre took off his hood:
"We use manual grafting here, not mechanical grafting."

"I know." Ronan nodded. Theo told him yesterday.

Pierre immediately showed a 'mischievous' expression and clapped his hands, attracting everyone's attention.

"Ronan said he could plant grape branches!"

Fabian jumped off the tractor, handed Ronan a hollow steel pipe, and said with a smile:
"Try it."

　The feedback for the chapter I read this afternoon was not very good, so I made major changes. I will update it after refreshing. I will take this as a warning.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)